The Blithe Spirit
Here are some quick snapshots of a final project I completed for our history of costume class. For the assignment I read the play The Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward and then designed all the costumes for each character and organized them by scene. The play is a comedy which revolves around a young couple being haunted by the husband's former wife. You may notice the ghost wife, Elvira (it was very hard not to draw her as the other Elvira), is shown at the far right of the first scene in all grey clothing and grey body paint to represent her supernatural state. In the last act of the play (spoiler alert...) Ruth is killed and appears in the next scene in all grey like Elvira to help the audience understand. The play is set in the 1940's so I tried to keep all the costumes true to the period. However, I did use a much brighter palette then would likely be seen during wartime in the 1940's because I felt the characters needed a lighter appearance since the play is a comedy. I also find the colours make the contrast between the living and dead characters more dramatic and effective. The photos do no real justice to the HOURS I spent designing, sketching and colouring these figures. Anyways, enjoy...
